Who would have thought the 42-year-old Albert Pujols had one last big half in him?
He had struggled in recent seasons and entered 2022 needing 21 homers to reach 700.
He didn’t hit 21: he hit 24, and now owns the fourth-highest all-time total with 704.
Thanks to a big second half, Pujols was able to reach that mark and go out in style: the St. Louis Cardinals slugger is retiring after the season.
MLB insider Hector Gomez offered some insight about Pujols’ enormous second half.
Albert Pujols
1st Half 2nd Half
53 G 55
173 PA 176
149 AB 156
17 R 25
32 H 50
6 2B 8
.215 BA .321
6 HR 18
20 RBIS 46
56 TB 112
.301 OBP .386
.376 SLG .718
.676 OPS 1.104 pic.twitter.com/1H0uLQL61U— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) October 4, 2022
A 1.104 OPS in 176 plate appearances after the break is nothing to sneeze at, especially for an aging slugger playing his last campaign in the majors.
It’s as if Pujols has been rejuvenated by playing with a contender and chasing history.
Pujols Looks Rejuvenated In 2022
Playing in front of the people that love and admire him also doesn’t hurt: the first baseman won two World Series, three MVP awards and many more accolades with the Cardinals between 2001 and 2011.
Several obscure years in Los Angeles brought him back to St. Louis, but weren’t a complete waste because they helped him accumulate the home runs he needs to become the fourth member of the 700-homer club.
Pujols had been a below-average hitter since 2016, but this season in St. Louis was all he needed to recover his form.
His .269/.344/.551 slash line is almost unprecedented for a man his age, and his 150 wRC+ indicates he has performed 50 percent better than the average MLB hitter.
His season has been monumental, considering the circumstances surrounding it, and has only cemented his place as one of the legends of the game.
Cardinals fans hope he can enter retirement with a World Series title.
NEXT: MLB Fans Are Reminded To Appreciate Albert Pujols